Ryan Holmes on What Every Young Entrepreneur Needs to Know with Lewis Howes

Hootsuite Growth

Ryan Holmes shares the unexpected journey of Hootsuite's growth from a small agency tool to a major player in social media management. Initially developed to address his agency's needs, the tool quickly gained traction, growing virally as users shared it with others. Holmes reflects on the rapid expansion, noting, "We couldn't have predicted necessarily where it was going to be today," as Hootsuite scaled from a team of 30 to nearly 900 employees 1. This growth was fueled by the evolving landscape of social media, which transformed consumer-brand interactions and unveiled new opportunities for businesses.

   

Leadership Skills

Holmes emphasizes the importance of evolving leadership skills and effective delegation in business growth. He describes his journey as a series of "mini MBAs," where he learned to be a generalist and delegate tasks he wasn't passionate about 2. Holmes believes in surrounding himself with people who love doing what he doesn't, stating, "For every job that you hate, there's somebody out there that loves doing that job" 2. This philosophy has been crucial in scaling Hootsuite and fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.